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With the exception of a few required shots and vaccines, we choose to raise our Goldens a more natural way.  After visiting other breeders and kennels, we are convinced this approach has kept our dogs in better health than other dogs whose owners choose the medicated approach to nearly everything.  Most dog breeders, kennels, and backyard breeders do not dedicate the time to administer the natural remedies associated with different canine issues.  However, we feel it is essential for their overall health, reproduction, offsprings, and longevity.  Don't think that because you are purchasing your dog or puppy from a well-known breeder, that your dog is in tip top shape.  We've visited kennels to purchase our dogs from, and found dogs with cysts, skin rashes, dull matting hair, and in overall tired shape.  We found out their owner pump monthly flea and tick chemicals into them, regular antibiotics, feed them kibble (dry food) only diets, and rarely spend time grooming and bathing their dogs.  When raising our puppies, we understand it starts far in advance with the care and health of their mothers.  The puppies will need to get their nutrients from her, and their long term health depends on her.  When you purchase a Timberland Golden puppy, rest assured your puppy has been raised under the best care possible...and in the most natural way possible!

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THE FOOD WE FEED

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Along with the highest quality dry dog food, all our adult dogs get a daily portion of mackerel and pumpkin.  Additionally, we add a daily dose of diatomaceous earth and supplemental vitamins to those main ingredients, depending on each dogs' needs.  Here is why we chose those nutrients for our dogs.

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​Why Mackerel?

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We can't say enough about the benefits of Mackerel.  In short, our dogs don't get skin infections.  Our dogs don't get stomach issues.  Our dogs don't have muscle and bone issues.  Our dogs don't have respiratory problems or tire out easily.  Our dogs don't have bowel issues.  We can go on and on about the benefits of Mackerel.  If you're interested to know all the great health benefits that Mackerel has to offer your dog, we dedicated a page to it.  Click this LINK for more information.

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Why Pumpkin?

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Pumpkin has enormous benefits for your dog.  The main benefits are

• Pumpkin is Nutrient-Rich: low in calories, rich in a host of essential vitamins and minerals, contains a high concentration of vitamin A (beta-carotene), contains a lot of potassium (which helps regulate blood pressure, improves muscle health, and assists in metabolism), and contains smaller amounts of a variety of healthy nutrients, including Vitamin C, Iron, Phosphorus, Magnesium, and Folate, to name a few.

• Pumpkin Benefits Eyes: Vitamin A is essential for your eye health, and it’s no different when it comes to your dog.

• Pumpkins Boost Immune Health: Vitamin C is integral for immune health all-around. When combined with vitamin A (beta-carotene), E and other antioxidants in pumpkin, it can possibly help prevent certain cancers from developing. Antioxidants help destroy free radicals, or “oxidants” in your pet’s system, like yours.

• Pumpkins Moisturize Skin & Coat: A number of nutrients in pumpkin, including vitamin A and zinc, improve your pet’s skin and coat. The high water content in pumpkin flesh also contributes to supple skin and a lustrous coat and causes the skin to flake less and less hair to be shed on your carpets, furniture, and clothes.

• Pumpkins Encourage Digestive Regularity: Adding a little pumpkin to your dog’s diet supplies the necessary fibre to enable your dog to pass stool easily and cure constipation. Though it may defy understanding, pumpkins have the unique ability to cure both constipation and diarrhea in your dog. If your pet’s stool is a little loose, a little pumpkin can add bulk and form to your dog’s poop.

• Pumpkin Can Help Naturally Control Parasites: Parasites, such as tapeworms, can wreak havoc with your dog’s digestive system and cause unpleasant symptoms including weight loss, nutrient deficiency, dry skin, and a shabby coat. Pumpkin has high amounts of an amino acid cucurbitacin, which is actually toxic to many common dog parasites and has been used to expel worms in ruminating animals.

• Pumpkin Hydrates: Many dogs fed a kibble only diet suffer from a mild, but chronic dehydration. Dry dog food has a very low moisture content and dogs do not possess a very strong thirst drive. This means that getting extra moisture into your dog through drinking can be difficult. But the high moisture content of pumpkin adds more water to your dog’s diet easily and naturally.

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Why Diatomaceous

Earth?

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Diatomaceous earth is a non-toxic natural substance. It’s made from crushed fossils of freshwater organisms and marine life. Through a microscope, the particles look like bits of broken glass.  Diatomaceous earth is deadly to any insect, yet completely harmless to dogs.  It doesn’t poison insects or paralyze them like some pharmaceutical products do. The way it works is purely mechanical.  When the razor-sharp particles touch the pests, they pierce the insects’ protective coating. So the bugs quickly dehydrate and die. The particles affect larvae in the same way.  Here's a full list of benefits.

• You can control internal parasites, like worms, by giving diatomaceous earth with food. Make sure you choose the right product: diatomaceous earth for your dog must be food grade. The product that’s in gardens and pool filters is processed differently and can be harmful.  Diatomaceous earth can eliminate roundworms, whipworms, pinworms, and hookworms in your dog. It can work in as little as 7 days of daily feeding.

• Some sources report that diatomaceous earth may absorb methyl mercury, E. coli, endotoxins, viruses, organophosphate pesticide residues, drug resides, and protein. It may even remove the proteinaceous toxins from some intestinal infections. There’s research showing it can remove heavy metals from waste water.  This means diatomaceous earth can be very useful as a detox solution, digestive aid and colon cleanser.

• Diatomaceous earth is full of minerals like magnesium, silicon, calcium,,sodium, iron, potassium, copper,,zinc,,phosphorous, selenium. So it can help dogs – and people – as a nutritional supplement. According to Wolf Creek Organics, better sleep, more energy, healthy skin, hair and nails are all potential benefits.  And there’s research by the University of Innsbruck, Austria, showing it can even improve cholesterol numbers … lowering LDL and triglycerides and increasing HDL.

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Quoting Dogs Natural Magazine, the recommended dosage for dogs of diatomaceous earth for internal consumption is

• Small dogs and puppies: 1/2 tsp per day in food

• Up to 50 lbs: 1 tsp per day in food

• Over 50 lbs: 1 Tbsp per day in food

• 100 lbs or more: 2 Tbsp per day in food

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EXERCISE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exercise for our dogs is as important to us as their diet.  Our 3 acre property allows us to give all our dogs a healthy dose of their needed daily exercise.   There are several reason we dedicate time to their needed exercise. 

1. It keeps them fit - up to 50% of U.S. dogs weigh too much

2. It promotes physical health

3. It helps in developing and maintaining healthy joints and bones

4. It promotes emotional health

5. It gives them socialization time

6. It allows ideal time for obedience training

7. A tired dog is better behaved, calm, focused, and understanding

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KENNEL  MAINTENANCE

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Letting our dogs exercise around our 3 acres give us the needed time to focus on their kennels.  Kennel cleaning is definitely not the most glamorous part of our dog care, but when it comes to show how much we value their health, it is near the top of our list.   Many people put this responsibility on the sideline, and therefore, are inviting trouble.  Dirty kennels stink. But more than just unpleasant smelling, an unclean kennel poses a threat to the healthy animals housed in them. For instance, Canine parvovirus type 2, more commonly known as parvo, is highly virulent and contagious. The disease is spread from dog to dog by direct contact with feces. Another disease, kennel cough, gets its name because the infection, also known as canine infectious tracheobronchitis, is easily spread among dogs in close quarters, like a kennel. There are viral and bacterial versions of this condition. Both are spread through the airborne droplets produced by an infected dog's sneezing and coughing.  So, keeping our kennels in their clean and disinfected conditions is assurance that we are avoiding any unwanted diseases from infecting our dogs and your puppies.

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IN CONCLUSION

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If you are looking to add a companion or pet to your family, make the choice to go with a breeder who really cares about the puppy it will be giving you.  Ask questions of them, and not just about the puppy.  Find out:

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1. What they give the parents for food?

2. How they treat the parents for internal parasites?

3. How often do their dogs exercise?

4. What do they do for cleaning the kennels?

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By their answers, you'll have a good idea whether or not you are getting a healthy puppy from a responsible breeder.